The freedom to hold different opinions from those held by Ardern or speak your mind about them has mysteriously disappeared. I received two reprimands recently from friends after I criticised the prime minister. How dare the dictatorial Ardern government polarise the people I love!
A recent post of the Atlantic article on Facebook suggested Ardern is the best leader on the planet. I provided the playful, but barbed, response of “which planet?” This was clearly not the right answer and drew the appropriate response. Apparently my “stupid” posts on Donald Trump hadn’t been criticised by the offended, consequently, I am not allowed to criticise Ardern! I wish my posts had been dissected to hell and back, that is, after all the whole point! But Facebook is clearly not the place. To restore the friendship I sincerely apologised for offending and made a mental note to post only fluffy kittens and holiday snaps on Facebook in future. Friendship is worth more to me than politics.
The second incident was a conversation with a close friend, a Labour Party supporter from birth, who recently warned me that discussing politics could end our four-decade plus friendship. This friendship has survived major events including life threatening cancer and a succession of governments but is under threat by the tawdry Ardern led government. But because I value our friendship more, I will happily comply with my friend’s request.
My mistake was in thinking people actually want to hear, at the very least, another side to the rubbish stories put out by media. But people are not interested in whether Donald Trump or Jacinda Ardern are fairly represented in their stories, nor do they realise how much fun they are missing out on! It was slightly shocking to realise there is as much resistance to a flattering image of orange man bad as there is to knowing the details of Ardern’s destructive leadership. Thank the Lord for The BFD where we can enjoy critical and respectful debate along with huge dollops of humour.
The fact that media are biased in favour of Ardern hasn’t escaped her office, indeed it is de rigeur to stifle any criticism of their divine leader.
“Steve Elers, a senior lecturer in journalism at Massey University, who used his weekly Stuff opinion piece to criticise the Prime Minister for her misleading claims, was also targeted. He revealed that after his article was published, the Prime Minister’s office emailed the newspaper asking them to make a ‘correction’: “I’m concerned this is undue influence from the Prime Minister’s office on editorial content… because it didn’t suit the Prime Minister’s agenda.”
With media companies currently seeking bailouts from the Government, he believes there’s a serious imbalance of power.”
We should be worried. Muriel Newman writing for NZCPR says “New Zealand is at a Crossroads”.
“This is the moment that will define the next generation. Will our future embrace freedom and liberty, or are we staring down the barrel of increasing Sate control?
Some say we are already on a totalitarian path – our personal freedoms taken away by ever more powerful politicians and organs of the State.
Defined by the Oxford Dictionary as a system of government that is centralised, dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the State, ‘totalitarianism’ certainly describes the actions of Jacinda Ardern’s Government since mid-March.”
If you enjoyed this BFD article please consider sharing it with a friend.
